Why The Thai Govt Shouldn't Celebrate Its 'victory'

[webfact]

STOPPAGE TIME

Why the govt shouldn't celebrate its 'victory'

Tulsathit Taptim

BANGKOK: -- Whoever thought a political rally against a government voted into power by more than half of the population could create upheaval were badly mistaken. And so were those who thought skirmishes between troops and missile-throwing protesters could snowball into bloody turbulence that would sweep away the powers-that-be.

These misconceptions prevailed before and during Saturday's demonstration by the Pitak Siam movement, but apparently common sense is returning. Democracy is a system that, more than any other, values the benefit of the doubt. The Yingluck administration has been comfortably saved by the democratic principle that dictates that nobody shall be punished based on fears alone.

But whoever thinks Saturday's "victory" is a green light for "fears" to become reality is also wrong. If tens of thousands of people could join a rally driven by vague accusations - putting the security forces and everybody else on edge - imagine what can happen when ambiguity goes out the window and apprehension becomes justified. Although demonstrators threw bottles, cut barbed wire, remove concrete barriers and scuffled with the police, absent on Saturday were truly angry faces. It was a half-baked rebellion with a cause that is far from ripe. If the government is smart, it must keep things that way.

The Thaksin administration pushed the limits of democracy. The 2006 coup was undemocratic, but that government also crumbled under the weight of its own sins, which were wrongly described as something that should have been cancelled out by the "noble" things it did. The Samak government, likewise, mistook its election mandate and blamed subsequent turmoil on others. The pattern looked set to be followed by the Somchai government, but the regime's life was cut short, paving the way for the controversial rise of a Democrat-led administration.

As Thaksin Shinawatra's sister, the prime minister has to navigate a more dangerous minefield. But Yingluck Shinawatra is fortunate that Thai democracy, which reeled from the uncompromising, disastrous confrontation between Thaksin and his rivals, has been evolving. By "evolving", democracy accepts power play even when its own name is degraded or exploited. As long as the players do not bend the rules to breaking point, that is.

Pitak Siam wanted to "freeze" democracy, or do something along those lines. It was a campaign based on fears, but the Thai political system, shaky as it is, brushed it aside with ease. It would have been breaking the rules if Pitak Siam had won.

We saw two faces of Pitak Siam on Saturday. The first was that of a scary political monster born out of the dangerous mindset that if violence happened, the government would be likelier to crumble. The other was when the movement's leader accepted defeat, saying he feared for protesters' safety. Which face is genuine we may still not know, but the real face of Thailand is all but cemented. We are a country held hostage by political animals. We judge a political rally's worth on whether people are seriously hurt or killed. When protesters peacefully dissemble, they "lose". Lip service is given to the "right to participate in politics", whereas the real show is run by provocateurs and agitators.

If Saturday's action by Pitak Siam was a farce, a smart government would want it to stay that way. The ball is in the government's court now. The last thing it should do is inject justification into those fears. Democracy can be stretched, but our own history has taught us that if the ideal is spread too thin or twisted too much, it will be unable to protect itself. There are limits to what we can do in the name of democracy. Prime Minister Yingluck has been rightfully able to rely on her mandate, but that's because she has managed to stay within the limits. The question is, how much longer can she?

Thailand's reconciliation is not about absolving someone; it's about stopping doing wrong under the facade of right. It's also about stopping giving others a taste of their own medicine. What has been happening in Thailand may look complicated to outsiders, but we are two nations in one country simply because rivals are too similar rather than too different. Everyone wants revenge. Everyone loves distortion when it goes his way, and condemns it when it doesn't. And everyone is hypocritical enough to block roads when it suits them, and clamps down on the right to protest when the status quo is threatened. In the process, democracy has been bruised by both those wanting to "freeze" it and those claiming to protect it.

It's up to the government to decide if Saturday should remain the pilot of a movie that will never be made, or whether it's a sure-fire prelude to far worse things to come. There are certain things that the government should not even think about, let alone carry out. Interpreting Saturday the right way, the government should know what to do. Misinterpreting it, and not only will the administration go astray, but also the country and the very political ideal that many people on the government side proclaim themselves to be guardians of.

-- The Nation 2012-11- 28

[Moruya]

It's unfortunately very clear that the government has no intention of policing its corruption and crimes.

[asiawatcher]

The article is not so great but these statements are the best summary so far:

"... the real face of Thailand is all but cemented. We are a country held hostage by political animals."

"... Lip service is given to the "right to participate in politics", whereas the real show is run by provocateurs and agitators."

It could be said these are dangerous times in which we live and the threat of civil war is simply bubbling below the surface.

[jonclark]

The article is not so great but these statements are the best summary so far:

"... the real face of Thailand is all but cemented. We are a country held hostage by political animals."

"... Lip service is given to the "right to participate in politics", whereas the real show is run by provocateurs and agitators."

It could be said these are dangerous times in which we live and the threat of civil war is simply bubbling below the surface.

I think that being a bit dramatic - "civil war bubbling beneath the surface"

Without being accused of Thai bashing, It think the vast majority of Thai folk are too apathetic (in terms of politics - yes you have the minority extremes UDD / PAD) or lazy to be bothered with civil war. Way too much effort, when you consider most can't even be bothered to walk to the shops.

Edited November 28, 2012 by jonclark

[smedly]

the democrats need to reinvent themselves, I hate to say this but AV is not the man to lead an opposition to PTP or anyone for that matter, although I think he is a great man and a valued asset he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.

A new party that shows honesty and integrety with a leader who is smart presentable good speaker and shows his intent clearly to all the people for the people and not through thuggery - to end corruption "enforce the law equally" for all and get this country back on it's feet fiscally and politically before it's too late.

I think the Thai people are just about sick of both the current PTP and their lies - corruption - thaksin - theft - thuggery and blatent disregard for law and the opposition bickering back with lame accusations nipping at the heels of PTP while they rape and pillage Thailand and it's people, what these people need is a new begining, a political party and leader that can garner trust and be trusted - could it happen ?

[smutcakes]

the democrats need to reinvent themselves, I hate to say this but AV is not the man to lead an opposition to PTP or anyone for that matter, although I think he is a great man and a valued asset he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.

A new party that shows honesty and integrety with a leader who is smart presentable good speaker and shows his intent clearly to all the people for the people and not through thuggery - to end corruption "enforce the law equally" for all and get this country back on it's feet fiscally and politically before it's too late.

I think the Thai people are just about sick of both the current PTP and their lies - corruption - thaksin - theft - thuggery and blatent disregard for law and the opposition bickering back with lame accusations nipping at the heels of PTP while they rape and pillage Thailand and it's people, what these people need is a new begining, a political party and leader that can garner trust and be trusted - could it happen ?

Its what needs to happen, but it cannot happen unfortunately. Its the way the system is, and the way the powers that be want it to stay.

[retarius]

A good editorial pointing to the hypocrisy of many commenters who are prepared to support anything so long as it is going their way.

Thailand lacks political parties which are based on some sort of elucidated ideology...like conservatism or socialism...the choice on offer is between two corrupt conservative parties whose aim is to get their snouts in the trough in order to enrich themselves and their clans. The prevalence of other smaller parties who can get their noses in the trough by way of supporting whoever is the larger party shows that everybody is for sale. Thailand shows up the weaknesses of representative democracy especially when it involves parties.

The basic problem as I see it is that the stated aims of education are to teach respect for the hierarchy, thus preserving the feudal client system. Until this feudal system breaks down frankly, there is no hope of real progress in the country. The recent economic performance and growth hasn't been driven by Thais but by foreigners building factories here seeking lower labour costs. That advantage is slipping away as Viet Nam and then Laos, Cambodia and Burma come fully on stream. Thailand will be in a right pickle then.

[imthemanhere]

until recently i was also afraid that these things could spill over into a civil war like situation, especially after what had happened in may 2011. but now i think that the risks are maybe quite small on the following reasons:

- witnessing all these goings-on in thai politics and street politics, i do not think that there are really many people on both sides who genuinely care about such values as democracy or anyway, any political ideology or ideal. it seems all to be about money, who controls the trough, or who is paid to be the 'cannon fodder' (= protesters). in the majority of cases anyway. ok, well, maybe 5 % of all people taking part in or organizing protests have been really concerned about changing things democratically to the better, but they would have been not visible in the crowds...

- and if it's about money for the organisators and big guys pulling the strings on both sides, they surely would not want the country seen to be dragged into some civil war, as this would not be good for their business and income. they will maybe let things progress to a certain level, to 'test' how far they could go (and yes, 'innocent' people and bystanders could be badly affected along the way, but nobody of both political sides would really care), but i don't think there would be an all-out civil war.

- it would get only REALLY dangerous if there was any powerful group really caring about ideals like democracy - but i did not see any such group yet here... and the average thais are really too apathetic, but i guess that's the same for many countries - the 'silent majority'...

i rather see the far larger danger of thailand becoming totally untrustworthy on the world stage to the point where it will really hurt thailand's cash cows - tourism and exports - and then of course economy-wise it will get very bad here. maybe THEN this would be a catalyst for change, as of course the sufferers of such a crisis will be mainly the middle and lower income people...

The article is not so great but these statements are the best summary so far:

"... the real face of Thailand is all but cemented. We are a country held hostage by political animals."

"... Lip service is given to the "right to participate in politics", whereas the real show is run by provocateurs and agitators."

It could be said these are dangerous times in which we live and the threat of civil war is simply bubbling below the surface.

I think that being a bit dramatic - "civil war bubbling beneath the surface"

Without being accused of Thai bashing, It think the vast majority of Thai folk are too apathetic (in terms of politics - yes you have the minority extremes UDD / PAD) or lazy to be bothered with civil war. Way too much effort, when you consider most can't even be bothered to walk to the shops.

[NoshowJones]

No.

[h90]

the democrats need to reinvent themselves, I hate to say this but AV is not the man to lead an opposition to PTP or anyone for that matter, although I think he is a great man and a valued asset he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.

A new party that shows honesty and integrety with a leader who is smart presentable good speaker and shows his intent clearly to all the people for the people and not through thuggery - to end corruption "enforce the law equally" for all and get this country back on it's feet fiscally and politically before it's too late.

I think the Thai people are just about sick of both the current PTP and their lies - corruption - thaksin - theft - thuggery and blatent disregard for law and the opposition bickering back with lame accusations nipping at the heels of PTP while they rape and pillage Thailand and it's people, what these people need is a new begining, a political party and leader that can garner trust and be trusted - could it happen ?

Honest is good but he needs to be a bit more like Samak or Chuvit.....a little bit more pepper.

And some of his speeches in which he pretend that everything is normal make him look naive. Of course he is doing it to show his high moral ground but sometimes it has the effect that it looks like he does not know what is going on.

[NCFC]

the democrats need to reinvent themselves, I hate to say this but AV is not the man to lead an opposition to PTP or anyone for that matter, although I think he is a great man and a valued asset he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.

A new party that shows honesty and integrety with a leader who is smart presentable good speaker and shows his intent clearly to all the people for the people and not through thuggery - to end corruption "enforce the law equally" for all and get this country back on it's feet fiscally and politically before it's too late.

I think the Thai people are just about sick of both the current PTP and their lies - corruption - thaksin - theft - thuggery and blatent disregard for law and the opposition bickering back with lame accusations nipping at the heels of PTP while they rape and pillage Thailand and it's people, what these people need is a new begining, a political party and leader that can garner trust and be trusted - could it happen ?

I don't think the Thai people are sick of PTP at all. On the contrary, every opinion poll and popularity poll puts Yingluck ahead of every other candidate by a wide margin.

Pitak Siam collapsed as a shambles before they hardly began. Pad is a mere rump of what is was. The Democrats, to their credit, took the parliamentary route and called for a censure debate, in which they were soundly beaten.

The 115(?) TRT banned members are now unbanned without the slightest hiccup in ruling coalition.

People are happy. No floods this year. The economy is booming. There is a job available for every one who wants one. These are good times for Thailand.

[h90]

It's unfortunately very clear that the government has no intention of policing its corruption and crimes.

???? it is business, you invest a lot money in the vote buying and than you get it double back with corruption.

And it isn't easy....twice they got kicked out of their deserved place already.

[McMagus]

A good editorial pointing to the hypocrisy of many commenters who are prepared to support anything so long as it is going their way.

Thailand lacks political parties which are based on some sort of elucidated ideology...like conservatism or socialism...the choice on offer is between two corrupt conservative parties whose aim is to get their snouts in the trough in order to enrich themselves and their clans. The prevalence of other smaller parties who can get their noses in the trough by way of supporting whoever is the larger party shows that everybody is for sale. Thailand shows up the weaknesses of representative democracy especially when it involves parties.

The basic problem as I see it is that the stated aims of education are to teach respect for the hierarchy, thus preserving the feudal client system. Until this feudal system breaks down frankly, there is no hope of real progress in the country. The recent economic performance and growth hasn't been driven by Thais but by foreigners building factories here seeking lower labour costs. That advantage is slipping away as Viet Nam and then Laos, Cambodia and Burma come fully on stream. Thailand will be in a right pickle then.

Clearly I am not the only sane person in the street.

A perfect summary, couldn't have done better myself.

[whybother]

a government voted into power by more than half of the population

You'd think a serious journalist would be able to get the facts right in his first sentence.

[ridkun]

a government voted into power by more than half of the population

You'd think a serious journalist would be able to get the facts right in his first sentence.

Yes... the power of Red propaganda, keep saying that they are majority despite that they are merely plurality.

[zyphodb]

the democrats need to reinvent themselves, I hate to say this but AV is not the man to lead an opposition to PTP or anyone for that matter, although I think he is a great man and a valued asset he simply doesn't have what it takes to be a leader.

A new party that shows honesty and integrety with a leader who is smart presentable good speaker and shows his intent clearly to all the people for the people and not through thuggery - to end corruption "enforce the law equally" for all and get this country back on it's feet fiscally and politically before it's too late.

I think the Thai people are just about sick of both the current PTP and their lies - corruption - thaksin - theft - thuggery and blatent disregard for law and the opposition bickering back with lame accusations nipping at the heels of PTP while they rape and pillage Thailand and it's people, what these people need is a new begining, a political party and leader that can garner trust and be trusted - could it happen ?

Its what needs to happen, but it cannot happen unfortunately. Its the way the system is, and the way the powers that be want it to stay.

Spot on I'm afraid, far too many vested interests want it to stay the same...